(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to certain sulfur- and halogen-containing fatty acid derivatives which have exhibited antimicrobial activity.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is known to those skilled in the art that thiolacetic acid and bromotrichloromethane can be caused to add to the double bonds of unsaturated compounds in the presence of free radical generating materials such as benzoyl peroxide. In the present work the addition was initiated by irradiation using cobalt-60 which has the advantage of not introducing impurities into the product which would have to be removed. As regards antimicrobial agents it is known to the art that a variety of N-substituted fatty amides show antimicrobial activity. However, many are not antimicrobially active and there is a wide difference in the activity of those which are active. Some are active against only one or a small number of microorganisms, while others show a broad spectrum of activity against many types of organisms.